Finding Mastery: Conversations With Michael Gervais

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Marissa King, a Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Yale School of Management, where she developed and teaches a popular course entitled Managing Strategic Networks. Over the past fifteen years, Marissa has studied how people’s social networks evolve, what they look like, and why that’s significant. Her research has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Atlantic, and on National Public Radio.Marissa is also the author of a new book, titled Social Chemistry. I wanted to speak with Marissa to learn more about her framework for strategic networks…How do the nature of our relationships differ in our personal lives from the work setting, what can we do to improve them, and how has the pandemic impacted the nature of how these relationships will evolve in the future?-----Please support our partners!We're able to keep growin

This week’s conversation is with Per Lundstam, the Director of Alpine Sport Science for the US. Ski & Snowboard team.He rejoined the organization after an 11-year stint with Red Bull, where he served as the Director of Performance, supporting athletes in their pursuit of improving athletic performance as well as building a platform for optimization within sport sciences.Prior to Red Bull, Per worked with U.S. Ski & Snowboard from 1994 to 2010 as Head Strength Coach, working with the likes of Olympic champions Tommy Moe, Bode Miller, Ted Ligety, Lindsey Vonn, and Julia Mancuso.I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Per as both a colleague at Red Bull and as a dear friend… When it comes to high performance, Per is one the most respected people in the field.We discuss how to get the most out of individuals and teams - both inside and outside the world of sport.-----Please support our partners!We're able to keep growing and creating content for YOU because of their support. We believe in their mi

This week’s conversation is with Dean Karnazes, an acclaimed endurance athlete and NY Times bestselling author, who has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits. TIME magazine named him one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in the World.” Men’s Fitness hailed him as one of the fittest men on the planet. Stan Lee, of Marvel Comics fame, called him, “A real superhuman.”Among his many accomplishments, he has run 50 marathons, in all 50 US states, in 50 consecutive days and he’s run 350 continuous miles, foregoing sleep for three nights. He’s run across the Sahara Desert in 120-degree temperatures, and he’s run a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40 degrees. On ten separate occasions he’s run a 200-mile relay race solo, racing alongside teams of twelve. He has raced and competed on all seven continents of the planet, twice over.So you might be thinking, how I could possibly relate to Dean? And that’s what makes this conversation beauti

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Katy Milkman, a behavioral scientist and professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Over the course of her career, she has worked with or advised dozens of organizations on how to encourage positive change, including Google, the U.S. Department of Defense, the American Red Cross, and Morningstar. Her research is regularly featured by major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR. She currently codirects the Behavior Change for Good Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania and has a new book out titled, How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.And that’s why I wanted to speak with Katy… to better understand the research around behavior change.How do people change, what are some things that get in the way, and what are some ways to amplify the rate of change?-----Please support our partners!We're able to keep growing and creating content for YOU&nbs

This week’s conversation is with Joe de Sena, the founder and CEO of Spartan, the world’s leading endurance sports and wellness brand.Throughout his lifetime, Joe has competed in any extreme sports adventure he could find, testing his mental and physical endurance against nature. His racing resume is the stuff of legend – over 50 ultra-events overall and 14 Ironman events in one year alone.And that led to Spartan – a global experiential sport and wellness brand with a 10 million+ strong community. It creates transformational experiences, products, and content to help people, companies and teams tear down boundaries and expand what they believe to be possible. I wanted to have this conversation with Joe to better understand what drove him to create Spartan.We discuss purpose, sacrifice, work/life balance, habits for living healthier and so much more.-----Please support our partners!We're able to keep growing and creating content for YOU because of their support. We believe in their mis

This week’s conversation is with Ryan Holiday, the bestselling author of The Obstacle Is the Way; Ego Is the Enemy; Conspiracy and other books about marketing, culture, and the human condition. His work has been translated into over 30 languages and has appeared everywhere from the New York Times to Fast Company.His company, Brass Check, has advised companies such as Google, TASER, and Complex, as well as multi platinum musicians and some of the biggest authors in the world. You may already be familiar with Ryan from his previous appearance on Finding Mastery a few years ago (episode #43).Ryan is a proponent of stoicism and in this conversation, we discuss what led him down that path and why the underlying philosophy is so important to him.As Ryan puts it: “A Stoic doesn't control the world, but they control always how they respond to the world. So it's a really great philosophy if you're doing something ambitious. If you're a leader or an athlete or a poet or a politician, it's there for the stress

This week’s conversation is with Joanne McCallie, better known as “Coach P” – one of the most highly decorated female college basketball coaches in the country. Over the last 28 years, Coach P has coached at Maine, Michigan State, and most recently Duke.She’s the only Division I head coach to lead two different programs to 30-win seasons with three National Championship game appearances, and she won National Coach of the Year in 2005.Coach P’s success on the court speaks for itself, but there was more that I wanted to explore with her.She recently made her longtime battle with bipolar disorder public – something she didn’t feel comfortable revealing during her coaching career.For those of you unfamiliar, bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.So in this conversation, we discuss Coach P’s experience battling this disorder while leading one of the premier program’s in the n

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Peter Attia, a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. Peter earned his M.D. from Stanford University and holds a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics.He trained for five years at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in general surgery, where he was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including resident of the year, and the author of a comprehensive review of general surgery. Peter has since been mentored by some of the most experienced and innovative lipidologists, endocrinologists, gynecologists, sleep physiologists, and longevity scientists in the United States and Canada.His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (delay the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life).In this conversation, we discuss Peter’s journey – his battle with perfectionism, his quest to

This week’s conversation is with Tony Blauer, a coach in the martial art, self-defense, defensive tactics, and combatives industry for over four decades.He founded Blauer Tactical Systems (BTS) in 1985 and it has grown into one of the world's leading consulting companies specializing in the research and development of performance psychology, personal safety, and close quarter tactics & scenario-based training for law enforcement, military, and professional self-defense instructors.After decades of interviewing victims of violent encounters and studying violence, he also created the KNOW FEAR® program which focuses on managing fear through self-awareness, resiliency, and a 'movement' mindset. This program has also been integrated by psychologists helping Vets to deal with PTSD.You may be familiar with Tony’s work from his first time on Finding Mastery in early 2020 (episode #208).The world has changed quite a bit since then so I wanted to have Tony back on to further discuss his approach to combatting fear

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Marv Dunphy, widely recognized as one of the premier coaches in the history of the sport of volleyball.He directed Pepperdine to four NCAA men’s volleyball titles and concluded his 34th and final season as the Waves’ head coach in 2017. He remains involved with the program as its head coach emeritus.Marv also had a long, successful coaching tenure with the U.S. National Team. The American squad maintained a No. 1 world ranking during his time as coach in the 1980s and the team won every major international tournament: the 1985 World Cup, the 1986 World Championships, the 1987 Pan American Games and, most importantly, the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.Since then, he has been an assistant coach for the men’s team at the 2000 Olympics and a consultant coach at the 1996, 2004 and 2008 Olympics. In 2012, Marv served as a consultant coach in London for the silver-medal winning women’s squad and most recently, in 2016, he was a scouting coach for the women’s

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Ethan Kross, one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, Ethan earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in social-affective neuroscience to learn about the neural systems that support self-control. He moved to the University of Michigan in 2008, where he founded the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory.As an award-winning professor in the University of Michigan’s top-ranked Psychology Department and its Ross School of Business, Ethan studies how the conversations people have with themselves impact their health, performance, decisions, and relationships.And Ethan just published his first book, Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It.I’d be surprised if anyone listening hasn’t experienced what Ethan describes as “Chatter.”That process where you have a thought such as, “Why did I screw u

This week’s conversation is with Max Lugavere, a filmmaker, health and science journalist and author of the The Genius Life and the New York Times best-seller Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life.Max appears regularly on the Dr. Oz Show, the Rachael Ray Show, and The Doctors. After his mother was diagnosed with a mysterious form of dementia, Max put his successful media career on hold to learn everything he could about brain health and performance.For the better half of a decade, he consumed the most up-to-date scientific research, talked to dozens of leading scientists and clinicians around the world, and visited the country’s best neurology departments—all in the hopes of understanding his mother’s condition. Sometimes with the non-traditional route of education, I have my doubts, as there's something to be said about formal training.But Max’s purpose is clear – he knows what he’s talking about and offers some very practical strategie

This week’s conversation is with Cal Newport, an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University, where he specializes in the theory of distributed systems.Cal is also a New York Times bestselling author who writes about the intersection of technology and culture. He’s the author of seven books, including Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, which have been published in over thirty languages. In his latest book titled, A World Without Email, he makes the case that our current approach to work is broken, then lays out a series of principles and concrete instructions for fixing it.And that sets the tone for this conversation.We discuss how the modern work ecosystem has created the hyperactive hivemind… where everyone just grabs anyone as needed.As Cal puts it, it’s convenient and flexible, but it's melting our brains and it's burning us out. -----Please support our partners!We're able to keep growing and creating content for YOU because of their support. We believe in thei

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Trudy Goodman, the founding teacher of InsightLA and cofounder of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. Trudy has trained in mindfulness and Zen since 1973, holds a graduate degree in developmental psychology from Harvard, and is one of the senior Buddhist teachers in the U.S.  She has taught at universities and retreat centers worldwide for 25 years. Trudy is widely known for her role as Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series "Midnight Gospel”. She is a contributing author to the Clinical Handbook of Mindfulness, Compassion and Wisdom in Psychotherapy, and Mindfulness and Psychotherapy.And she’s also married to Jack Kornfield, who we were fortunate to have on the podcast just a few weeks back!Trudy is a truly, a special human being.In this conversation we discuss so much… the importance of trusting yourself and why that ultimately starts with loving yourself, which can be a big hurdle for some of us.We also touch on Trudy's 

This week’s conversation is with Morgan Housel, a partner at The Collaborative Fund and a former columnist at The Motley Fool and The Wall Street Journal. He is a two-time winner of the Best in Business Award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, winner of the New York Times Sidney Award, and a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism.Morgan recently published a book titled, The Psychology of Money, and it’s the impetus for why I wanted to talk to him.If you’ve listened to this podcast for a while, you know I live by this stance: having a philosophy for your life is imperative...What I hope you take from this conversation is that the same can be said for how you think about money.There isn’t simply one "right" way to manage your money, but it should align with the greater values you live by.At one point in our conversation, Morgan shares that he doesn’t have a mortgage on his house, that he owns it outright.I was a bit stump

This week’s conversation is with Dr. David Rabin, MD, PhD, a neuroscientist, board-certified psychiatrist, health tech entrepreneur & inventor who has been studying the impact of chronic stress in humans for more than a decade.David has always been fascinated by consciousness and our inherent ability to heal ourselves from injury and illness.As such, he has specifically focused his research on the clinical translation of non-invasive therapies for patients with treatment-resistant illnesses like PTSD and substance use disorders.David is the co-founder & chief innovation officer at Apollo Neuroscience, which has developed the first scientifically-validated wearable technology that actively improves energy, focus & relaxation, using a novel touch therapy that signals safety to the brain.This is one of the reasons I’ve been so excited about our partnership with Apollo so I can’t wait for you to learn from David, he is an amazing human being.In this conversation, we discuss how powerful the human

This week’s conversation is with Nneka Ogwumike the 2016 WNBA MVP, WNBA Champion, and 1st overall pick of the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2012 WNBA Draft.Nneka is on a mission to inspire others to discover their greatness with an open heart, enthusiasm, integrity, courage, and compassion.She is currently serving as President of the WNBA Players’ Association (WNBPA) and successfully led the group in its renegotiation of a groundbreaking WNBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.She is a six-time WNBA All-Star, three-time All-WNBA selection, three-time All-Defensive WNBA selection and was the 2012 WNBA Rookie of the Year. A graduate of Stanford University with a BA in Psychology, Nneka led the school to four consecutive Final Four appearances.Hailing from one of sport’s most dynamic families, Nneka is the oldest of four sisters who have played Division I basketball.With her sister Chiney's selection as the 1st overall pick by the Connecticut Sun in the 2014 WNBA Draft, the family made history, joining Peyton an

This week’s conversation is with Alex Fiance and Ankur Jain, the co-founder’s and co-CEO’s of Kairos.Kairos is focused on solutions that can help solve the affordability crisis for the everyday consumer.Alex has been leading Kairos since 2013, transforming the company from its roots as a student-run organization into its current focus on building a family of brands designed to make life more affordable.Ankur launched Kairos in 2008 as a talent incubator and has been recognized for a variety of achievements including the Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2017.You may remember Alex from the mini-series we did a few years ago called “The Process” where we learned about young entrepreneurs tackling some of the world’s biggest problems.Considering how many people are struggling to get by right now, I thought this would be a timely moment to have Alex back on, along with Ankur.I wanted them to catch us up to speed… What progress they have made? And how have they adjusted where they were wrong?Alex

This week’s conversation is with Jimmy Chin, an Academy Award winning filmmaker, National Geographic photographer and professional mountain sports athlete.He has led or participated in cutting edge expeditions around the world for over 20 years.Jimmy has climbed and skied Mount Everest from the summit and made significant first ascents on all seven continents including the coveted first ascent of the Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru.For those of you unfamiliar with Meru, it’s the sacred five-peaked mountain of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology and is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes.Jimmy’s photographs have graced numerous covers of National Geographic Magazine and the New York Times Magazine.He co-produces and co-directs with his wife Chai Vasarhelyi.Their film Meru won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015 and was on the 2016 Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary Feature.Their latest documentary Free Solo, featuring Alex Honnold, won a B

This week’s conversation is with Alexi Pappas, an Olympic runner and an award-winning actor and writer.A Greek-American, Alexi is the Greek national record holder in the 10,000 meters.She graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College and also ran for the University of Oregon as a 5th year, leading the team to two NCAA victories.Alexi has been profiled on the cover of the New York Times Sports Page, in Rolling Stone, on NPR's All Things Considered, and was also featured on the cover of Runner's World Magazine's 50th anniversary issu, named as one of the two faces of the "new boom" in running.Her memoir-in-essays, "Bravey," with a foreword by Maya Rudolph was just released – and it’s the reason I wanted to have this conversation.Now more than ever – mental health is at the forefront of what so many of us are dealing with.My hope is that Alexi’s story – one of overcoming depression and seeing a grander version of what her future could look like can help you or a loved one get through any challenges of your ow